Minnesota United Soccer Team Debuts This Weekend
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The change in seasons means the return of sports like soccer in Minnesota. Minnesota has 70,000 kids in soccer annually, making it the biggest youth sport in the state.
Pro soccer in Minnesota has evolved quite a bit over the years. Our first team was called the Minnesota Kicks. They turned into the Strikers, then the Thunder and the Stars.
This Saturday marks the beginning of a new era for the club when the team debuts at the Metrodome as the Minnesota United, a nod to all past teams.
Head Coach Manny Lagos explained how the name also strikes a person note with him.
"For me, I'm from St. Paul but live in Minneapolis, so there's a synergy there with the name," he said. "I love thinking of uniting Minneapolis and St. Paul. I think it's an appropriate name for this market."
The team practices relentlessly with drills that challenge both the body and the mind.
"It's one of these unique sports where you have to combine amazing amounts of athleticism combined with being really smart and being able to navigate what I call a chess match on the field," Lagos said. "The nice thing about this part of soccer is that when you warm up with technical stuff, you can combine the fitness. Sometimes you have teams you just do running after. But if you create a situation where they have to get their heart rates up and concentrating, it's very similar to game situations."
Young or old, amateur or pro, soccer is a sport you can pick up fast, but work at mastering for decades.
For home games, general match day tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for kids. A "Dome Five Pack" is $55 for adults, $29 for kids.
If folks are interesting in signing themselves or their kids up for a league, click here for club information for all ages
